In a typical atomic layer deposition (ALD) system, whether the process utilized is a batch process or a single wafer process, a chamber utilized for the processing is generally first filled with liquid or gas containing a precursor which promotes deposition of a single atomic layer on a substrate surface. Then this gas or fluid is evacuated from the chamber and a new gas or liquid is supplied to the chamber. A single layer of material deposited at which point the reaction terminates. In order to deposit a second layer the whole operation needs to be repeated. Such systems generally treat the whole substrate or batch of substrates and have low throughput. Therefore, this leads to inefficient substrate production and increased production time and costs.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and an apparatus that avoids the prior art by enabling optimized fluid management and application to a wafer that enables the application of an ALD in a highly controllable and efficient manner.